Plating device for knitting-machines.



UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

EMI-L A. HIRNER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NovEL'rYHosIERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

PLATING nnvrcn son xm'r'rmemacnmns.

Specification ofLetters Patent. Application filed April 17, 1906. SerialNo. 312,074.

Patented. Feb. 9, recs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL A. HIRNER, of Allentown, in the State ofPennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful I'm- '-ovements inPlating Devices for Knittingachines, whereof the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to devices adjunctive to circular knitting machinesemployed-tor the urpose of facilitating the operation of latmg. In theknitting art the term platmg is used to denote a method of knitting bywhichtwo yarns are simultaneously fed to and knit by the needles, withprovision whereby the relation of the yarns to each other as they passinto the knitting operation is such that a predetermined yarn will bevisible upon the face of the resulting fabric while the other yarn willbe knit upon the back. In this way a knit fabric may be produced havinguniformly a yarn of one color or character for its face, and a yarn ofanother color or character for its back. It is further common in platingdevices to provide means whereby at predetermined intervals, the twoyarns thus simultaneously fed to the fabric may be so manipulated as toinvert the position of the yarns in the knitting. By

thus employing yarns of different color and changing their relation tothe knitting at predetermined intervals various patterns maiy beproduced.

n plating devices hitherto known, difiiculty is often experienced inconstantly maintaining the proper relative position of cial mani ulationof the and the needles, it frequently occurs in practice that, withoutan apparent reason therefor, the two yarns wi reverse their positions,-throwing the wrong yarn to the face of the fabric and producing flaws inthe work. This unintentional reversal oflthe yarns'is' thread upon theface of the fabric usually due to accidental, but almost inevitable,changes of tension. For exam 1e yam will occasionally catch as it reelsoii a obbin; and there is a difference between the tension with whichthe yarn reels off a new bobbin and off one partially unreeled. Theseand many other unavoidable causes wellknown toknitters result invariations of the tension of the yarns, and notwithstanding the use ofdelicately adjusted tension arms, and the other well known devices,these accidental variationsof tension are suflicient to fre quentlycause the plating operation to "be defective.

Myinvention relates, to certain means which I have devised whereby Ihave over come this difficulty, and am able under all conditionsordinarily occurring in practice to maintain constant the relation ofthe threads during the knitting operation and their proper relativetensions.

My invention includes means which I have devised whereby the properrelation of the plating yarn and body yarn may be maintained, not onlyduring ordinary circular or full knitting}, but during what is known asreciprocatory Knitting. It is a common feature in all stockin knitters,and in some other forms of circu ar knitting machines, that the machineafter knitting a contmueus tube by rotation of the parts, ceases tempo--rarily to thus operate and proceeds to knit for a time by a motion ofreciprocation of the same parts, the most common instance of this beingthe formation of the heel and toe pockets in the knitting of stockings.In the ordinary stocking knitter it has hitherto been found impossibleto so maintain the relative position of two yarns as that they will befed ifithe same relation to the nee dles when the machine isreciprocating, because at the end of each stroke the reversal of themotion tends to invert the position of the threads. According to mypresent invention, I have by a very simple device en-' tirely overcomethis difiiculty, and'am enabled to plate as accurately during recip'roca'tory knitting as during rotary knitting. In

this way I am enabled to knit an entire stocking including the heel andtoe pockets of two yarns, constantly maintaining one and'another threadupon the back.

I wiil now describe my invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings the definition of which show a convenient embodiment of myinventive idea; but it will be understood that in thus describing thisform of my invention I am not describing the only form which it iscapable of assuming, and that the only limitations which are to beimposed upon the invention are those which will be found in the claimsappended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is an elevation of a rotatinglatch guard with its thread guide and supports and their adj unctiveparts, such as may be conveniently superimposed upon the knittingcylinders of any ordinary circular knitting machines. Fig. II, is anelevation of the lower half of the same parts shown in Fig. I, butviewed from a point at right angles to that from which Fig. I, is taken.Fig III, is a detailed view partly insection showing that portion of thelatch guard which carries the main yarn guide. big. IV, is a section ofthe same taken along the line IV, IV, in Figs. I, and III. Fig. V, is anenlarged View of the main yarn guide, and l ig. V1, is a section of thesame.

In the figures, 1, is a ring shaped seat which is supported above theknitting cylinders. Within this seat is received an annular plate 2,rotating freely upon the seat. 'lhe inner edge of this annular plate isprolonged downward as a flange to form the latch guard 3. In ordinarypractice the above parts are so related to the knitting cylinders as tomaintain the latch guard in constant relationto the cam cylinder of theknitting machine, irrespective of whether the machine be of that classwhere the cam cylinder rotates, or of that class Where the knittingcylinder rotates. For the purpose merely of more convenient'descriptionI will s eak of the plate 2, and its latch guard as though it rotatedaround the needles. Mounted upon the annular plate 2, are two opposedposts 4, 4, which support a yoke 5, provided with supports 6, 6,carrying the obbin's 7, and 8. Mounted centrally upon the yoke is a post9, provided with successive collars 10, 11, 12, and 13, all pierced byyarn guiding eyes as common in the art. Projecting from the yoke 5, isthe plate 15, containing the eyes 16, which are by it supported over theannular disk 2, in nearly vertical relation to the tension devices aboutto be described.

The late 15, carries a depending bracket 17, witl ia short horizontalshaft 18, mounted therein. Upon this shaft rotates the collar 20,carrying the two arms of which the arm 21, is a more or less verticalyarn tension arm, while the other arm 22, proiects in the oppositedirection and is provided at its extremity with horizontal fingers 23,23. Fixedly set upon the shaft 18, is an upri *ht 25, also carryinghorizontal fingers 26. The rethrough the tension device in emcee lationof these parts is such that the fingers 23, play between the intervalsof the fingers 26, without coming in contact therewith.

Beneath the parts just described the plate 2, supports a multiple yarntension device of any convenient description. In the drawing's I haveshown the long spring tension arms 30, supported by a post 31, andcarrying the eyes 32, at their extremities; and near the free ends ofthese arms an upright 35 is mounted on the plate 2, carrying the guidewire 36, and two horizontal pins 37, and 38. The in 38, carries theslightly overweighted tension blocks 39, through the ends of which eyes40, are pierced. Beneath these tension devices the annular plate 2, ispiercedby a vertical eye 41, (seen 1n section in Fig. IV), below thiseye is a second vertical eye 42, supported substantially'in linetherewith by an adjustable bracket arm 43. The eye 42, is slightlybelowthe level of and immediately ad acent to the main yarn guide 44,which pierces the latch guard and leads the thread directly into thehooks of the needles.

Of the parts thus described the more important portions for the purposeof my invention are the tension equalizer and the lower yarn eye 42. Thelatter maintains a se aration of the yarns as they pass througithe yarnguide. The tension equalizer operates by the coaction of the tension arm21 mounted on the shaft 18, and the alternating fin efs 23, and 26, andfor the purpose of understanding its method of operation the course ofthe threads must be traced.

The bobbin 7, carries the body yarn 47, which after assing throughsuccessive yarn eyes carried liy the collars on the post 9, runs throughthe corresponding eye 16, of plate 15, and then passes through theterminal loop of the tension arm 21. From thence it passes through theordinary tension device, that is down under the pin 37, back over block39, down through its eye 40, through tension eye 32, and thence downthrou Til the eye 41, in plate 2, from whence it is led directly to themain yarn guide 44, assuming a position near the top thereof, as seenmore clearly in Fig. IV; The yarn 48, on the other hand, which is toconstitute the platin yarn, and which is to be knit on the face of thefabric, is led from the bobbin 8, through a succession of eyes as above,but, after passing through the eye 16, it runs between the fingers 23,on the one side and the fingers 26, on the other. Thence it passes downrecisely a similar manner to the other t iread, and passes down with theother thread through the eye 41, but instead of passinz directly to theyarn guide 44, it is led down through the supplemental eye 42, andthereby caused to assume a lower osition' in the guide 44, than theother thread as more clearly appears in Fig. IV. .The' operation of thistension egualize r depends upon the relative position o the tension arm21, and the finger arm, 22 This must be adjusted so that yarn 47, whenrunning under the normal tension, will be drawn by arm 21, slightly outof. its vertical run, with theresultthat' the fingers 23, on

' the finger arm 22, are in such relation to the fixedfingers 26, thatthe thread 48, as it passes between them is subjected to but slightfriction. But the moment that a slight increaseof tension on yarn 47draws in the arm 21, there is a change in the position of the'fingers.In plating'it is ordinarily necessary that the body yarn be subjected toa greater tension than the plating yarn, this a tension tending to holdthe body yarn in the u permost'position as it passes to the nee- 4 d es.But 1t is equally essential that any intertwine morefdeepl between thefingers substantial increase in the tension of the body yarn should beaccompanied by a ,corresponding increase in the tension of the platingyarn, and this is the function which my device'accomplishes; fortheadiustment between the parts thus described is such that any increase inthe tension of the body yarn causing it to run more vertically out ofthe eye 16, draws in the tension arm 21 towards the center line of themachine and simultaneously, throws the fingers 23, forward so astorequire the plating yarn'48, to

23, and the fingers 26, instantly placing upon the plating yarn therequired increase of tension} The devices which have been described areve' delicate in their operation and I find that y means of them theslight-- est increased. tension upon one yarn is immediatelycommunicated to the vother, so that the relative tension between the twoyarns is plating operation.

always maintained constant irres' ective of their absolute tensions.This is t e important element in the successful practice of the Inreferring in the-claims to parts of my tension equalizing device I will8 eak of the arm 21, as a tension arm'by which I mean that it is atension device, the position of which is dependent upon the degreeoftension under which the yarn runs through-its eye, but it will beunderstood. that thistension arm is capable of great variation of form.,Likewise I will speak of the parts which include the arm 22, with itsfingers 23, and the corresponding fixed .fingers 26, as ,a frictiondevice. This itwill be understood is composed of a fixed and movablepart (or it might be two movable parts), the rnotion being essentialthat the alternating of which is dependent'upon the motion of thetension arm 21, 'so that the degree of friction imposed uponthe yam'which passes through t e friction ,fiyi is: dependent upon the tensionof the yarn-whicln-runs through the tension arm-,-.1 ut;-.t1ie fo ;:0these devices may be muchlvaried-yitfnot fingers be employed for causingthe intertwining of the thread, as other well known means of impartingfriction to a running yarn may be em loyed.

, will now describe that part of my invenl tion which has especialreference to the 1 pro or maintenance of the relative position l of Thisconsists in the pecu iar configuration of the main yarn ide 44, as shownin enlarged I detail in Figs, Q7 and VI. This yarn guide 1 is an eyewith a throat 'formed with a flare for the easing of the run of the yarnfrom it. For the purpose of iny invention I rovide the lower inner edgeof this eye at t e part which I have called the throat, with a littlenotch or depression 50, sufficiently large to readily receive thelowermost yarn. As it 'is the lating yarn will rest within the notch 50.he body yarn which must be fed above yarn guide higher up on its sideand passes from its throat. in an inclined position. These positions ofthe yarns will be best understood by examination of Figs. III, and IV,where 47, indicates the body yarn runand in doing this it must overridethe yarn 48, otherwise in passing from one side to the other the yarn47, will force the yarn 48, in front of, and therefore above it, causingan inversion of the osition in which the yarns pass to the need es. Thisdifliculty is overcome by the provision of the notch 50, within whichthe yarn 48, rests, for the yarn 47, when the motion of the machine isre versed, leaps over the notch ,and passes to the othcrs'ide of the eyewithout touching or disturbing the position in which the yarn 48 isrunning therefrom. In addition to the notch 50, I find that the oeration of this device is further improved by the employment of twosupplemental notches 5 1, 51, at the side ofthe throat of the yarnguide. In this way, the yarn 47, is fed alternatively from one or theother of these notches-51, its exact position on the side of the throatof the guide being thus, determined by the height of these notches,although the yarn is capable of leaping from one of the side notches 51,to the other, without coming into contact with the yarn 48, which isrun.- ning constantly from the lower notch 50.

f .It will be understood that when in the claims,

I speak ef-this part 50, and 51, as notches, I do not confine-myself tothe particular con ning diagglnally from the'side of the yarn e yarnsduring 'reci rocatory knitting.

the plating yarn ordinarily passes out of the pass from one side of theguide to the other,

figuration shown. By the use of my yarn guide the lowermost yarn isprevented from coming into contact with the upper yarn at the time ofchanged motion during reciprocation, thereby overcoming the tendency ofthe top yarn to force the bottom yarn above itas it passes from one sideto the other of the yarn guide.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, provided with means for simultaneously feedingtwo yarns to the needles, tension devices, means for imposin additionaltension upon one of said yarns which is automatically operated by theoccurrence of an additional tension upon the other yarn, whereby thetension ratio of the two yarns is maintained constant, substantially asset forth.

2. In a knitting machine, provided with means for simultaneously feedingto the needles a body yarn and a plating yarn, a tension equalizer,comprising a tension arm throughwhich one of said yarns is led; afriction device acting upon the other yarn; and connections whereby anincrease in the tension of the first mentioned yarn communicates,through said tension arm and by way of the friction device, acorresponding increase of tension to the otheryarn, substantially as setforth.

3. In a knitting machine provided with means for simultaneousy feedingtwo yarns to the needles; a tension equalizer, comprising a swingingtension arm through which one of said yarns is led, and a set of fingersbetween v\ hich the other yarn is intertwined, the-two devices being soconnected and adjusted that the movement of the tension arm due toincreased tension upon its yarn communicates movement to the fingerswhich correspondingly increases the tension upon its Iilntertvs'ineyarn, substantially as set Ort 4. In a circular knitting machineprovided with means for simultaneously feeding to i the needles a bodyyarn and a plating yarn,

the combination of a swinging arm through uhich the body yarn passes;opposed sets of fingers between which the plating yarn is intertwinedone or more of said fingers being movable and mounted upon an arm whichswings upon a common center with, and in union with the tension arm,whereby accidental increase of tension upon the body yarn communicatesincreased tension of the plating yarn, substantially as set forth.

5. In a stocking knittin -machine provided with means for 'simutaneously feeding to the needles a body yarn and a platin yarn, and alsohaving capacity for bot circular and reciprocatory motions; a yarn eyethrough which both yarns are simultaneously fed to theneedles one abovethe other, provided with a depression in its I lower edge capable ofreceiving the lowermost or plating yarn and which permits the body yarnto overleap said plating yarn when the motion of reciprocation compelssaid body yarn to pass from one side to the other of the yarn guide,substantially as set forth.

6. In a stocking knittin machine provided with means for simuItaneouslyfeeding to the needles a body yarn and a plating yarn, and also havingcapacity for both circular and reciprocatory motions, a main yarn uideconsisting of an eye with a central yarn-receiving depression within itslower edge, and two other yarn-receiving depressions one on either sideof the firstmentioned depression, substantially as set forth.

7. In a stocking knittin machine provided with means for simultaneouslyfeeding to the needles a body yarn and a plating yarn, and also havingcapacity for both circular and reciprocatory motions, a yarn eye throughu hich both yarns are simultaneously delivered to the needles one abovethe other, provided with a notch in its lower edge for the lowermostyarn, and two notches at its side for receiving the uppermost yarnalternately at one side or the other according to the direction in whichthe yarn eye moves relatively to the needles, substantially as setforth.

8. In a circular knitting machine with capacity for reciprocatoryknitting; a main yarn eyeprovided with two notches, one on either sideof its throat, vshich receive the thread alternately according to thedirection of the reciprocation of the machine, substantially as setforth. 9. In a knitting 'machine a main yarn guide capable ofsimultaneously feeding a plurality of yarns directly to the needles; andseparated eyes, one or more of which receives but one yarn, and all ofwhich deliver their yarn to the main yarn guide at levels differingaccording to the positions of said separate eyes, substantially as setforth.

10. In a knitting machine the combination of the yarn guide 44, feedingtwo yarns to the needles; the lower eye 42, feeding one yarn to theguide 44; and the eye 41, feeding two yarns, one directly to the yarnguide 44, and the other to the eye 42, substantially as set forth.

11. In a knitting machine provided with yarn feeding devices and a yarnguide, a vertical eye by which both yarns are carried into proximity tothe yarn guide; and an eye below said verticaI eye, through which one ofsaid yarns is led to the yarn guide the other, substantially as setforth.

12. In a knitting machine provided with yarn feeding devices and a yarnguide, a verand delivered to it in a lower position than v tical egeabove the level of said yarn guide signed my name, at Allentown, in theState by ich both yarns are carried into of Pennsylvania, thisfourteenth day of 10 groximiltly with1 safid yam guide; dand 121m eyfiApril, 1906.

eowteeveosai arn ie,trou which one of said yarn is le d to the yai'n.EMIL R guide and delivered to it in a lower position Witnesses: thanthe other, substantially as set forth. MARCUS S. HOTTENSTEIN,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto CHARLES L. HOTTENSTEIN.

